The Start, Scale & Succeed Podcast

Hosted by Scott Ritzheimer

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300

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Scale Architects, founder, CEO and Secrets of The High Demand Coach podcast host Scott Ritzheimer has helped start nearly 20,000 new businesses and nonprofits and launched and sold his own multimillion-dollar business after leading it through an exceptional and extended growth phase (over 10 years of double-digit growth) all before he turned 35. He realized the biggest secret to success is that there is not one secret to success. There are key strategies, tactics, skills, and mindsets needed at each stage of the journey AND they are different in each stage. He launched the Start, Scale & Succeed podcast to help you know what you need to do RIGHT NOW to create the success you want. If you're a founder, entrepreneur, owner, or CEO or even if you'd like to be. You'll find episodes guiding you to success in all seven stages of your journey from pre-launch to post-exit.

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June 16, 202619 min

Are Your Happiest Clients Killing Your Growth? with Bradley Rausch (stage 3) - Ep. 404

In this methodical episode, Bradley Rausch, Owner of bradleyrausch.com, shares how to turn your happy clients into a high-margin growth engine instead of staying trapped on the front-end hamster wheel. If you have clients, a team, and solid reviews but your growth has flattened despite chasing more leads, you won't want to miss it.You will discover:- Why focusing on quality of revenue through referrals and upsells can multiply profit per client without more volume- How to implement the four sales framework to maximize lifetime value from onboarding to ascension- How to train your client success team to sell advocacy and upsells while maintaining quality experienceThis episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 3 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quizBradley Rausch is a client experience architect, strategic advisor, and the go-to “backend profit” partner for founder-led coaching and group programs. With six years of experience, he’s helped dozens of founders turn chaotic growth into durable, higher-margin revenue without sacrificing their values. From first-72-hour onboarding systems to referrals, testimonials, and ascension playbooks, Bradley and his team help founders turn each great client into 1.5–2x more profit and build businesses that feel lighter as they scale.Want to learn more about Bradley Rausch's work at bradleyrausch.com? Check out his website at https://www.bradleyrausch.com/Connect with Bradley through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-rausch/

June 16, 202619 min

Highly Profitable Legal Steps Before You Leap with Richard Gearhart (stage 1) - Ep. 403

In this fundamental episode, Richard Gearhart, Founding Partner of Gearhart Law, LLC, shares how to smartly handle legal basics as a pre-founder so you can protect your ideas without big costs or risks. If you feel intimidated by legal stuff while still collecting a paycheck and juggling a side hustle, you won't want to miss it.You will discover:- How to check your employment contract and document ideas separately to safeguard your IP from employer claims- Why running a proper trademark search early prevents costly rebranding or litigation down the road- How to set up an LLC, bank account, and upfront payments to build legitimacy and get paid fasterThis episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 1 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quizRichard Gearhart, Esq., is a leading intellectual property attorney, entrepreneur, and nationally recognized speaker dedicated to helping innovators protect and scale their ideas. He is the founder of Gearhart Law, an international law firm focused on patent, trademark, and copyright matters for startups and growing businesses worldwide. He has presented to Fortune 50 companies, top colleges and universities, and legal audiences nationwide, and has spoken alongside New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner. Richard is the co-host of the nationally syndicated iHeartRadio show Passage to Profit – Road to Entrepreneurship, airing on 35 radio stations.Want to learn more about Richard Gearhart's work at Gearhart Law, LLC? Check out his website at https://gearhartlaw.com/Connect with Richard though his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardgearhart

June 9, 202617 min

Should I Retire Or Start Over with Kim Sawyer (stage 1) - Ep. 402

In this empowering episode, Kim Sawyer, Founder of theWealthSource®, shares how to take ownership of your career as a pre-founder in stage 1. If you're feeling stuck in a job, dissatisfied despite a good paycheck, and wondering if you should make a change, you won't want to miss it.You will discover:- Why treating your career as a business where you are the CEO gives you real control- How to discern between your current job, long-term career, and overall life priorities- What active participation looks like to build your desired future instead of leaving it to chanceThis episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 1 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quizKim Sawyer has extensive business experience and has been a professional coach for more than 20 years. His coaching firm, theWealthSource®, coaches and facilitates key professionals, executives, teams, and organizations to create extraordinary wealth — in all its forms. They accomplish this by developing unique and powerful models, tools, and approaches that elevate the performance and success of the executives they coach to the next level. Kim has coached leaders across some of the most respected organizations, including Continental Airlines, JP Morgan Chase Bank, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), IBM, Chevron, and Spectra Energy.Want to learn more about Kim Sawyer's work at theWealthSource®? Check out his website at https://thewealthsource.com/Connect with Kim through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachkimsawyer/Are you a successful executive who feels stuck in your career and not sure what to do about it? Kim is offering you his $300 Career Mastery Session - FREE when you mention this podcast. There are limited spots, so sign up now: https://calendly.com/thewealthsourceMentioned in this episode:Take the Founder's Evolution Quiz TodayIf you’re a Founder, business owner, or CEO who feels overworked by the business you lead and underwhelmed by the results, you’re doing it wrong. Succeeding as a founder all comes down to doing the right one or two things right now. Take the quiz today at foundersquiz.com, and in just ten questions, you can figure out what stage you are in, so you can focus on what is going to work and say goodbye to everything else.Founder's Quiz

June 9, 202616 min

Would More Money Kill Your Business with Yarin Gaon (stage 4) - Ep. 401

In this insightful episode, Yarin Gaon, Founder of Fractional Partners, shares why outside capital often destroys more value than it creates for stage 4 founders. If you're generating more revenue but watching profits shrink, feeling overwhelmed by complexity, and tempted to raise money to fix it, you won't want to miss it.You will discover:- Why giving capital to an unclear business model is more likely to destroy value than create it- How to shift from growth by addition to growth by subtraction to tighten your core engine- What it takes to identify your most profitable 20% before scaling with outside capitalThis episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 4 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quizYarin Gaon is an entrepreneur-turned-investor with a proven track record of founding, scaling, and exiting companies. He launched his first company at age 14 and went on to build Israel’s largest e-commerce platform for military goods, which he later sold before relocating to the U.S. He also served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at a venture capital firm, where he specialized in turning around distressed startups. With an MBA from Tel Aviv University (and time spent at Kellogg School of Management), Yarin now helps growing companies mature into strong, cash-flowing assets. Yarin has mentored over 400 businesses through SCORE and the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center.Want to learn more about Yarin Gaon's work at Fractional Partners? Check out his website at https://www.fractional.partners/Connect with Yarin through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaringaon/Mentioned in this episode:Take the Founder's Evolution Quiz TodayIf you’re a Founder, business owner, or CEO who feels overworked by the business you lead and underwhelmed by the results, you’re doing it wrong. Succeeding as a founder all comes down to doing the right one or two things right now. Take the quiz today at foundersquiz.com, and in just ten questions, you can figure out what stage you are in, so you can focus on what is going to work and say goodbye to everything else.Founder's Quiz

June 2, 202640 min

Dueling Q&A with Les McKeown (stages 1,2,3,4,5,6,7) - Ep. 400

In this profound episode, Les McKeown, Founder and CEO of Predictable Success, shares how to navigate your current stage with clarity across all seven stages of the Founder's Evolution. If you feel uncertain about where you are, sense misalignment in your team, or wonder if you're truly in predictable success, you won't want to miss it.You will discover:- How to use simple tests like "If you have to ask, you're almost certainly in fun" to diagnose your current reality- What strong leadership and systems look like to successfully transition between stages without skipping- Why individual perception often clouds your view of the organization's true stageThis episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stages 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quizLes McKeown, the Founder and CEO of Predictable Success, is not just an advisor to CEOs and senior leaders but also a sought-after speaker for Fortune 500 companies. His expertise lies in helping organizations achieve scalable, sustainable growth, and his breakthrough strategies have been widely recognized and implemented. Before founding Predictable Success, Les established himself as a serial founder/owner, starting more than 40 companies. He was also the founding partner of an incubation consulting company that advised on the creation and growth of hundreds more organizations worldwide. He’s the bestselling author of Predictable Success, The Synergist, Do Scale, and Do Lead.Want to learn more about Les McKeown's work at Predictable Success? Check out his website at https://www.predictablesuccess.com/Connect with Les through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesmckeown/Mentioned in this episode:Take the Founder's Evolution Quiz TodayIf you’re a Founder, business owner, or CEO who feels overworked by the business you lead and underwhelmed by the results, you’re doing it wrong. Succeeding as a founder all comes down to doing the right one or two things right now. Take the quiz today at foundersquiz.com, and in just ten questions, you can figure out what stage you are in, so you can focus on what is going to work and say goodbye to everything else.Founder's Quiz

June 2, 202619 min

Why Organizations Become Less Profitable As They Grow with Nick Avaria (stage 4) - Ep. 399

In this eye-opening episode, Nick Avaria, Founder of Agency Acquisitions, shares why many stage 4 founders get trapped in the missing middle. If you're growing revenue but profits are shrinking, complexity is overwhelming you, and your team feels misaligned, you won't want to miss it.You will discover:- Why growth rewards you with more problems and a dangerous chasm called the missing middle- How to stop promoting individual contributors and build real middle management systems- What it takes to transition from founder to CEO so you stop being the speed limitThis episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 4 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quizNick is a serial agency owner and strategist who’s scaled multiple marketing agencies beyond 7- and 8-figures, bought and sold 7 firms, and built a system that’s helped countless agency owners finally get their time and sanity back, all while growing profits significantly. Nick’s not just another “consultant.” He’s still in the trenches. He owns two agencies today that run without him (under 4 hours/week of his time), and he’s now on a mission to help 100 agencies scale to $10M+ or hit $1M in profit annually while building workplaces where people thrive.Want to learn more about Nick Avaria's work at Agency Acquisitions? Check out his website at https://www.agencyacquisitions.io/Connect with Nick through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickavaria/Mentioned in this episode:Take the Founder's Evolution Quiz TodayIf you’re a Founder, business owner, or CEO who feels overworked by the business you lead and underwhelmed by the results, you’re doing it wrong. Succeeding as a founder all comes down to doing the right one or two things right now. Take the quiz today at foundersquiz.com, and in just ten questions, you can figure out what stage you are in, so you can focus on what is going to work and say goodbye to everything else.Founder's Quiz

May 26, 202621 min

Stop Hiring Salespeople Like Everyone Else with Jorge Chavez (stage 3) - Ep. 398

In this functional episode, Jorge Chavez, President of Topaz Sales Consulting, shares how stage 3 founders can successfully hire and scale their first salespeople. If you struggle with inconsistent sales, bad hires, or feeling like no one sells the way you do, you won't want to miss it.You will discover:- How to use a specialized sales hiring process that screens for real sales competencies- What to do after hiring so you inspect what you expect instead of fully handing off- Why hiring salespeople the same way as everyone else leads to expensive mistakesThis episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 3 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quizJorge Chavez is the President and Co-Founder of Topaz Sales Consulting in Austin, Texas. With over 30 years of sales expertise, he developed the Buyer Facilitator Philosophy and Process, empowering CEOs, founders, and sales leaders to build teams that deliver revenue through trust, clarity, and mutual fit. Through targeted sales training, executive coaching, and proven hiring systems, Jorge and his team enable organizations to scale effective sales cultures. He is also a keynote speaker and mentor committed to transforming how companies approach sales and leadership.Want to learn more about Jorge Chavez's work at Topaz Sales Consulting? Check out his website at https://www.topazsalesconsulting.com/Connect with Jorge through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrchavez/Mentioned in this episode:Take the Founder's Evolution Quiz TodayIf you’re a Founder, business owner, or CEO who feels overworked by the business you lead and underwhelmed by the results, you’re doing it wrong. Succeeding as a founder all comes down to doing the right one or two things right now. Take the quiz today at foundersquiz.com, and in just ten questions, you can figure out what stage you are in, so you can focus on what is going to work and say goodbye to everything else.Founder's Quiz

May 26, 202617 min

The Founder/CEO’s First Step in a Turnaround with Richard Broo (stage 5) - Ep. 397

In this clarifying episode, Richard Broo, Principal and Founder of True North PMP Consulting, shares how how stage 5 CEOs can diagnose and fix disconnects that derail projects and performance. If you feel overwhelmed by complexity, frustrated by information gaps between levels, or sense your team is not aligned despite your efforts, you won't want to miss it.You will discover:- Why breakdowns happen even with smart people and strong intentions- How to assess the true current state by talking directly to people at every level- What to do instead of blaming when things go wrongThis episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 5 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quizRichard Broo has spent more than 40 years helping organizations identify and correct project issues before they become costly failures. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, mid-market firms, and private-equity-backed businesses across industries, including packaging, automotive, consumer goods, industrial manufacturing, and medical equipment. His expertise includes product management, project management, new product development, commercialization, and operations. He has also led businesses through major turnarounds, including stabilizing a failing medical packaging company and guiding it through bankruptcy to a successful $22.2 million sale.Want to learn more about Richard Broo's work at True North PMP Consulting? Check out his website at https://truenorthpmpconsulting.com/Connect with Richard through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbroo?

May 19, 202618 min

How High-Performing Creatives Get Stuck with Stacey Bailey (stage 3) - Ep. 396

In this insightful episode, Stacey Bailey, Senior Consultant & Executive Coach of The Intention Collective, shares how creative founders can successfully lead their first team in stage 3. If you feel frustrated that no one else can keep up, think like you, or deliver the way you do, you won't want to miss it.You will discover:- Why expecting your team to think and work like you creates unnecessary struggle and misalignment- How to create clarity around vision and expectations so everyone rows in the same direction- What it takes to build real trust and give effective feedback instead of being “nice.”This episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 3 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quizStacey Bailey is a leadership coach, strategist, and facilitator who helps entrepreneurs and creative leaders build businesses with heart. A certified System and Soul™ Implementor and Dare to Lead™ Certified professional, she brings more than 15 years of experience in leadership and operations within the creative services industry. Today, through Intention Collective, Stacey partners with founders and leadership teams of creative agencies generating $1M–$15M in revenue to build scalable, values-driven businesses. Her expertise includes leadership development, operational alignment, and strategic planning, and she has successfully supported organizations through private equity transitions, B Corp certification, and international expansion. Want to learn more about Stacey Bailey's work at The Intention Collective? Check out his website at https://intentioncollective.co/Email her at stacey@intentioncollective.coCheck out Stacey's personal website at https://www.stacey-bailey.com/ Connect with Stacey through her LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceylbailey/Mentioned in this episode:Take the Founder's Evolution Quiz TodayIf you’re a Founder, business owner, or CEO who feels overworked by the business you lead and underwhelmed by the results, you’re doing it wrong. Succeeding as a founder all comes down to doing the right one or two things right now. Take the quiz today at foundersquiz.com, and in just ten questions, you can figure out what stage you are in, so you can focus on what is going to work and say goodbye to everything else.Founder's Quiz

May 19, 202621 min

Build the Fortress Before You Need It with David Barnett (stage 3) - Ep. 395

In this eye-opening episode, David Barnett, Owner of www.DavidCBarnett.com, shares how to protect and strengthen your business as you grow in stage 3. If you’re growing fast but feel exposed to hidden risks, or worry that one mistake could wipe out years of work, you won’t want to miss it.You will discover:- Why focusing only on revenue and profit leaves your business dangerously vulnerable.- How to use your balance sheet to spot and manage risk before it becomes a crisis.- What changes to make now so you can grow profitably while protecting what you’ve built.This episode is ideal for for Founders, Owners, and CEOs in stage 3 of The Founder's Evolution. Not sure which stage you're in? Find out for free in less than 10 minutes at https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/quizDavid C. Barnett is an author, consultant, and international speaker who has helped thousands of entrepreneurs avoid costly mistakes and achieve successful business exits. Having personally started, bought, sold, and closed multiple businesses, David brings hands-on experience rather than theory. He specializes in the critical areas of buying, selling, financing, and managing small- to mid-sized businesses—the key leverage points that determine whether an entrepreneur can truly scale and succeed. His insights equip entrepreneurs to move forward with clarity and confidence, helping them prepare for a profitable exit even years in advance.Want to learn more about David Barnett's work at www.DavidCBarnett.com? Check out his website at https://www.investlocalbook.com/Connect with David through his LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbarnettmoncton/Check out David's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@DavidCBarnett Get a copy of his book The Business Fortress: How to Grow, Protect, and Exit Your Business with Confidence at https://www.amazon.com/Business-Fortress-Grow-Protect-Confidence/dp/B0F99NVR38Mentioned in this episode:Take the Founder's Evolution Quiz TodayIf you’re a Founder, business owner, or CEO who feels overworked by the business you lead and underwhelmed by the results, you’re doing it wrong. Succeeding as a founder all comes down to doing the right one or two things right now. Take the quiz today at foundersquiz.com, and in just ten questions, you can figure out what stage you are in, so you can focus on what is going to work and say goodbye to everything else.Founder's Quiz